OTTAWA — Electrical car gross sales grew virtually 60 per cent final yr however they should choose up the tempo much more to hit the brand new federal gross sales mandates anticipated by the top of this yr.
Statistics Canada launched the newest quarterly knowledge on new car registrations Thursday, exhibiting within the fourth quarter of 2021, plug-in vehicles and SUVs made up greater than six per cent of latest car registrations for the primary time.
Throughout the entire yr, 86,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrids have been bought, accounting for five.2 per cent of latest registrations. That compares with 54,000 in 2020, making up 3.5 per cent of complete car registrations.
5 years in the past, electrical automobiles made up fewer than one in 100 new vehicles bought. In 2021, they made up one in 20.
Setting Minister Steven Guilbeault intends to mandate that by 2026 electrical automobiles make up one in 5 new passenger automobiles bought. By 2030, it have to be not less than half, and by 2035, all new automobiles bought should run on batteries.
He’s at present creating a nationwide gross sales quota system that may impose penalties on dealerships or automotive corporations that do not promote sufficient electrical automobiles.
“Switching to an electrical car is without doubt one of the most impactful issues Canadians can do to assist struggle local weather change,” Guilbeault stated in a press release to The Canadian Press.
Passenger vehicles and vehicles made up greater than half the greenhouse fuel emissions from highway transportation in 2020, and greater than one-tenth of Canada’s complete emissions that yr.
QUEBEC, B.C. LEAD THE WAY
Quebec and British Columbia have already got provincial gross sales mandates and have had purchase-price rebates for years. In addition they lead the pack in general gross sales, with 71 per cent of all new electrical automobiles in Canada registered in these two provinces in 2021.
Within the final 5 years, three in each 4 electrical automobiles have been registered in Quebec or B.C.
Inside Quebec, electrical automobiles made up 9 per cent of latest registrations in 2021, and in B.C. it was 11.6 per cent. Ontario, which is the subsequent highest, is at three per cent.
Each province noticed development in electrical car registrations in 2021.
Whereas development in electrical car gross sales is occurring, it is not on tempo to satisfy Guilbeault’s new targets. On the present fee of development, electrical automobiles will make up roughly 15 to 16 per cent of latest registrations by the top of 2026.
The nationwide gross sales mandate is anticipated to assist, however Guilbeault stated Thursday the federal government is investing closely to assist the Canadian auto business rework to pump out electrical automobiles, in addition to funding extra charging stations and increasing the federal rebate program for electrical automobiles.
On Friday, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra will announce how the federal government intends to broaden that rebate program so costlier SUVs and pickup vehicles coming onto the electrical car market can qualify.
For the reason that rebates started flowing in Could 2019, greater than 141,000 automobiles have certified for as much as $5,000 off the acquisition value. As of March 31, $611 million went to the rebates.
The latest price range is including one other $1.7 billion to maintain them flowing for an additional few years and lift the utmost buy value.